Art of shearing metal bars while in motion



Sept. 14 1926.

V. E. EDWARDS ART OF SHEARING METAL BARS WHILE IN MOTION Filed Dec. 15, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nu H dw M N m k NH N MN MW Qw Am Q QN r VWWEVWUVQVHVQVWU V. E. EDWARDS ART OF SHEARING METAL BARS WHILE IN MOTION Sept. 14 1926.

Filed Dec. 15, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 14 1926.

V. E. EDWARDS ART OF SHEARING METAL BARS WHILE IN MOTION Filed Dec. 15, 1922 4- Sheata-Sheet 5 Sept. 14,1926.

V. E. EDWARDS ART OF SHEARING METAL BARS WHILE IN MOTION Filed Dec. 15., 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR E. EDWARDS, OF WEST BOYLSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ART OF SHEARING METAL BARS WHILE IN MOTION.

Application filed December 15, 1922. Serial No. 607,126.

The present invention relates to the shearing of metal bars, billets and the like while in motion, i. e., the practice employed in steel mills where the continuous rapidly moving rolled product is cut up into commercial lengths as fast as it is delivered from the finishing rolls of the mill.

Devices for thus severing the metal, without stoppage of its normal travel through the mill, are known in the art as flying shears. The present invention contemplates improvements both in the construction and method of operation of apparatus of this class, with particular reference to theautomatic attainment of synchronism at the instants of cuttin between the speed of the shear knives and the speed of the material, and, in addition, the automatic timing of the initial shearing operation on each piece of material, to synchronize, as closely as may be desired, with the random arrival of the first end of said piece at the shears. Also, with particular reference to skelp bar as a product of the mill, the invention contemplates, in conjunction with the shearing devices, the employment of suitable means for pointing, curving and bending the product, whereby to facilitate its assemblage, piling and handling on special apparatus provided for this purpose.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an assemblage of apparatus for the above purposes.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view, in side elevation, showing a portion of said apparatus.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of the shear actuating and synchronizing mechanisms.

Fig. 3* is a view similar to Fig. 3, of certain modifications of said mechanisms.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are, respectively, fragmentary face views of parts of the shear actuating and synchronizing mechanisms, as viewed from the section lines 44, 55 and 66 of Figs. 3 and 3.

Fig. 7 'is a fragmentary face view as seen from line 77 0 Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 a is a. fragmentary face view as seen from line 7 -7 of Fig. 3*.

Fig. 8 is a partial plan or development view of the upper shearing head.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of the lower shearmg head.

Fig. 10 isa sectional view of the two heads 1n cooperation, on the section line 1010 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the longitudlnal center line of the material, disclosmg the effect thereon of the pointing and curl ng devices of the shearing mechanism.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the assemblage of mechanism therein shown involves a pair of cooperating feed rolls 1, 1 dr ven from a suitable actuating shaft 2, sald feed rolls dominating the s eed of the material in its travel to and t rough the shearlng mechanism, and in the case of a hot rolling mill constituting, if desired, the finishing pair of rolls. In advance of the rolls 1,1 is disposed a flying shear of any well known type, consisting as here shown of an upper rotatable knife carrying head 3 and a lower rotatable knife carrying head i 4, said heads being connected by gearing, not

shown, and driven from a shaft 7, the latter deriving its power, as hereinafter described,

from the main driving shaft. 2. As is usual in shearing mechanism of this type, the heads 3 and 4 areof different diameters, so that the respective cut-off devices or knives 5 and 6 carried thereby will come into opposition, for the operation of cutting, only after a plurality of revolutions by their respective heads; for instance, with heads having a diameter ratio of three to four,-as

here shown, the knives 5 and 6 will come into opposition after every fourth revolution of the smaller head, corresponding to three revolutions of the larger head.

The shear actuating shaft 7 derives its rotation through gearing of special construction from an alined shaft 8, the latter being driven from the shaft 2by means, for instance, of a belt 9, working on cone pulleys 10 and 11; by this or any other suitable means, the speed relation between the rolls 1,

1 and the shearing heads 3, 4 -may be rhanged, when desired, for the purpose of increasing or diminishing the length of bar travel between successive cuts or oppositions of the knives 5and 6.

For synchronizing the speed of knives 5 and 6 with the speed of the material at the instant said knives come into opposition, the invention contemplates superimposing a variabl'e crank motion or pulsing angular velocity on the uniform angular velocity that the shaft 8 would impart to the shear knives, whereby to increase or diminish their speed of travel during their periods of oposition. To accomplish this result, a set of ifferential gears 12 is interposed between shaft 7 and a countershaft 13, the latter deriving its rotation, as hereinafter described, from shaft 8. The intermediate gears 14, 14 of said differential, connecting the driving gear 15 with the driven gear 16, are carried by a yoke 17, which, through connecting rod 18, is coupled to a crank 19 on a. disk 20. Said disk 20 is carried on the end of a shaft 21, thelatter being driven, through 'rearing 22, 23 from the countershaft 13; ,the arrangement being such that the crank pin 19 makes one revolution for each opposition of the knives 5, 6, with the reduction afforded by the gears 22, 23 either one to four or one to three, as determined by whether the shaft 7 connects directly with the small head 3 or the large head 4.

In the above described mechanism, the arrangement and meshing of the gears is such that the crank 19 is on the quarter at the instant the knives 5 and 6 are in opposition; hence the disposal of pin 19 on one side of the other of the center of disk 20 Will result in increasing or decreasing, as the case may be, the speed of the shaft 7 at that instant. To this end, the crank pin 19 can be set in any desired position in a slot 24 extending across the face of disk 20, said slot being preferably indexed in opposite directions from the center of the disk to facilitate the proper setting of the crank pin for either the increase or the decrease of speed, as may be desired. In this way, the speed of the knives 5, 6 at the instant of cutting can be definitely and accurately adjusted to synchronize with the known speed of the material at the critical instant of knife opposition; the knife speed at other times in the cycle is immaterial, unless excessive inertia strains are set up, and in that case,

other gearing ratios and different sizes of cutter heads, may be used to reduce such inertia strains.

While the above described synchronizing devices lenl themselves to the establishment and maintenance of ideal conditions for any given speed of the material, it is nevertheless the fact that after the delivery of each fresh successive piece of stock from the mill, considerable wastage must ensue by reason of the first random cut that would be taken on each piece, without regard to the distance of said out from the advancing first end of the piece. To correct this condition, which results in a large amount of scrap or waste material, it is proposed to synchronize each initial opposition of the shear blades 5, 6 with the random arrival of the first end of each bar and thus to insure the cropping of each first end with a minimum loss of material, or if desired, to just miss cropping by causing the opposition of the knives to take place just before the arrival of said first end at the shear.

For this purpose, the apparatus provides a trigger 25 adapted for engagement by the first end of each bar and adapted, when so engaged, to close an electric circuit by the bridging of two contacts 26, 26, Fig. 3. Said electric circuit contains a solenoid 27, theenergization of which, by the action of trigger 25, procures the release of a one-jaw clutch 28. Said clutch 28 in its normally engaged position acts between a worm gear 29 on shaft 30 and a pulley 31 on an alined shaft 32, to hold the latter against rotation, notwithstanding the belt drive 33 of pulley 31 froma small pulley 34 on said shaft 8. In other words, the tendency of belt 33 is to drive the shaft 32 from the shaft 8 at a reduced speed, corresponding to the speed reduction of the gears 22, 23, but this tendency is resisted, and causes slippage of the belt, when the clutch 28 is engaged, by reason of the load imposed on worm gear 29 by its normally inactive driving. worm 35, the latter being carried on the shaft of a motor 36 which is only brought into operation when it is desired to shift the angular position of the clutch 28.

Interposed between the shaft 8 and the countershaft 13 is another set of differential gearing 37, similar in construction to the differential gearing 12, except that the transverse or intermediate gears thereof find support, axially, in an encircling worm gear 38, the position of which is controlled by means of a driving worm 39 carried by the shaft of a reversible motor 40. The motor 40 is connected up in the electric circuit which contains the solenoid 27, and the same source of electrical energy supplies the driving current for said motor, through the medium of brushes 41 and 42, 42, the brush 41 bearing on shaft 32, and the brushes 42, 42 bearing respectively on isolated contact rings carried by shaft 21, and each in electrical connection with contact portions of a pilot or controller 43, adapted to establish or interrupt the flow of current from shaft 32 to shaft 21. As shown in Fig. 7, this pilot or controller comprises a contact arm 44 on shaft 32, adapted to cooperate with a disk 45 on constantly rotating shaft 21,'said disk 45 providing two curved contact portions 46, 47 which are separated at diametrically opposite points by narrow and wider insulating gaps 48 and 49, respectively.

The operation of the above described mechanism is as follows :-The energization of solenoid 27, brought about by the elevation of trigger when struckby the-first end of a bar, releases the clutch 28 and perlnits the rotation of shaft 32 by belt 33. This inaugurates the rotation of pilot arm 44 at the same speed as its opposing constantly rotating contact disk 45. At its instant of release, obviously, the contact of arm 44 may be in any angular-relation to the surface of disk if ithappens' to bear at this instant on the wider insulation 49,

no current flows to the motor 40 and hence there is no shifting of the worm gear 38 to change the speed of the shear. On the other hand, if said contact bears on either of the elongated curved port-ions 4601 47, there occurs at once a rotation of the motor shaft in one direction or the other to either accelerate or retard the shear speed through the differential 37, it being understood that the two contact segments 46 and 47 are respectively connected eiated with brushes 42 and 42, one for the actuation of the motor in one direction, and

' the other for the actuation of the motor in the other direction. The differential in speed thus'set up by shifting of the worm gear 38 eventually brings the contact of arm 44 apposite-the insulation 49,' where- 0 ,upon the motor 40 having completed its work of accelerating or retarding the shear, until it is in synchronism with the first end of bar, comes to rest.

As indicated'in Fig. 1, the trigger 25 placed far enough back'from the shear to give time'for the motor 40 to perform the maximum amount ofadjustment neededLfor is either to accelerate or synchronism. If the crop end is to be rev moved,the length of the crop can be controlled, either by changing the position-of trigger 25, or if desired, by shifting the angular position of the clutch 28 through the operation of motor 36, the latter prefer ably being-controlled from a distant point. In the above'described embodiment of the invention, the synchronizingmotor 40 is, as stated, a reversing motor, 1

and operates either to accelerate or retard ,the shear speed prior to the arrival of the first end of the bar; this necessitates two contacts 46 and 47 on the disk .45, which must be separated by the narrow insulation 48, andinsome. instances, if the contact of arm 44 should happen to coincide with this narrow gap 48, the desired synchronisrnwould be prevented, and an initialv crop lossof considerable magnitude might occur. An alternative construction, as shown in Figs. 3% and 7, involves the use of a'variable speed motor 40', rather than a reversible motor,and inthis case, as s'hownin Fig. 7", a single contact segment 50 is employed, the effect of'which decelerate the shaft to turnworm gear 38 in the same or the opposite 'direction of to the two rings asso-' rotation, as may be preferred. In other respects, the operation of the mechanism is the same thereof shown in Fig."

, In the use'ot' the above described shear- 'ing mechanism for skelp barythe cut-off knives 5 and 6 of the shear are supplemented by pointing knives 51, 51 and 52, 52 carried, respectively, by the upper and lower heads 3 and 4,- as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In addition, the respective heads carry bending lugs 53 and 54, the latter cooperating with the knives to simultaneously cut, point and curl and bend the front end of each piece of skelp, asindieated in Fig; 10, so as as described for the embodiment to obtain the product with its front end unction with the projection of each piece,

"is to shingle the material in themanner indicated at 58 in Fig. 2. Upon the completion of a pile of such shingled pieces infrontof the shear, the same can be transferred broad- I side across suitable conveying means 59, and

the pile then shortened by the action, for

instance, of a pusher 60, in readiness for handling, by any method now known n the art.

In the following claims, thetermsaccelerate, accelerating, accelerated, etc., are to be taken in their broad scientlfic sense, 1. e. as

either positiveacceleration or negative acceleration or retardation Iclaim: 1.- In the art of shearing metal bars while in motion, the improvement which consists in cutting the bars by cooperating rotary 4 shear knives which at the instants of-their opposition, are accelerated them with the speed of the material being cut through an appreciableran'ge above and below'the average length of cut.

2.- In the art of shearing metal bars while in motion, the improvement which consistsin transmitting power for'the rotation of av pair of cooperating shear knives at; a-uniform angular velocity, as predetermined by the average length of material to be cut, and imposing on said uniform angular ,velocity alternating increases and decreases-ofspeed,

- whereby to synchronize thcresultant speed of said knives with the speed of the material at the instants'of' cutting when cutting lengths either longer or shorter than said averagelength. l w

' 3. In the art of shearing metal. bars while in motion, by cooperating frotary shear knives, whose uniform angular velocities are predetermined by the average length of ma terial 'desired to be cut, the improvement which consists in accelerating said knives to synchronize at the instants of their opposition, whereby to synchronize them at these instants with the speed; of the material when cutting lengths either longer or shorter than said average length.

4. In apparatus of the class described, means for feeding metal bars at a predetermined rate, a "pair of cooperating rotary shear knives, driving means therefor having aiiiniform angular velocity, means to vary the interval between cuts of said knives, and means operable on said driving means to vary said velocity by alternate acceleration and deceleration, whereby to synchronize said knives with the speed of the material at the instants of opposition of said knives, when cutting lengths either longer or shorter than the average implied by said uniform-{angular velocity.

5.111 apparatus of the class described, means for feeding metal bars at a predetermined rate, a pair of cooperating rotary shear knives, driving means therefor having a uniform angular velocity, means for changing from one uniform velocity to another uniform velocity, and means interposed between said kn1ves and their driving means for increasing or decreasing the speed of said knives at the instants of their oppositions, when cutting lengths either angular velocity,

longer or shorter than the average implied by said uniform angular velocity.

6. In apparatus of the class described, means for feeding metal bars at a predetermined rate, a pair of cooperating rotary shear knives, driving means therefor having a uniform angular velocity, and means interposed between said knives and their driving means for increasing or decreasing the speed of said knives at the instants of their oppositions, said last named means being adjustable to produce synchronism between the speed of the knives, while cutting lengths either longer or shorter than the average, and the speed of the material and further means controlling the initial cutting position of said knives relative to the advancing edge of said bars.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a pair of cooperating rotary shear knives, driving means therefor having auniform and means for superimposing a pulsing velocity onto said angular velocity, whereby, for the cutting of different lengths, to adjust the speed of said knives at the instant of cutting so as to synchronize with the speed of the material.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a pair of rotary cooperating shear knives, means for producing a pulsing angular velocity in said knives, said pulsing being in synchronismwith the oppositions of said knives and means controlled by the advancing edge of said bars for controlling the initial pulsation.

9. In apparatus of the class described, revolving rolls for feeding metal bars at a predetermined rate, a pair of cooperating shear knives, means for producing a pulsing an ular movement in the shaft driving said knives, said pulsing being in synchronism with the operative oppositions of said knives, and means for setting the ratio of pulsation relative to the revolution of said rolls.

10. In apparatus of the class described, revolving rolls for feeding metal bars at a predetermined rate, a pair of rotary cooperating shear knives, means for producing a pulsing angular velocity in said knives, said pulsing being in synchronism with the oppositions of said knives, means for varying the extent of said pulsations, and means for setting the ratio of pulsation relative to the revolution of said rolls.

11. In apparatus of the class described, revolving rolls for feeding metal bars at a predetermined rate, a pair of rotary cooperating shear knives, means for producing a pulsing angular velocity in the shaft which drives said knives, said pulsing be ing in synchronism with the oppositions of said knives, means for varying the extent of said pulsations, and means for setting the ratio of pulsation relative to the revolution of said rolls.

12. In apparatus of the class described, revolving rolls for feeding metal bars at a predetermined rate. the combination with rotary cooperating shear knives, of means for producing pulsations in the angular velocity of said knives, in synchronism with their oppositions, means for varying the extent of said pulsations, and means for setting the ratio of pulsation relative to the revolution of said rolls.

13. In apparatus of the class described, revolving rolls for feeding metal bars at a predetermined rat efthe combination with rotary cooperating shear knives, of means for producing pulsations in the angular velocity of the shaft which drives said knives, in synchronism with their oppositions, means for varying the extent of said-pulsations, and means for setting the ratio of pulllsation relative to the revolution of said re s.

14. In the art of shearing metal bars while in motion, the improvement which consists in synchronizing the times of opposition of the shear blades with the time of arrival of the first end of each bar at said shear blades.

15. In the art of shearing metal bars while in motion, the improvement which consists in cutting the bars by cooperating knives and accelerating the speed of the shaft driving the knives just before the arrival of the first end of each bar, whereby to synchronize the opposition of said shear creased in speed in response to the travel of shear.

the first end of each bar, whereby to hasten or retard the operation of said shear, as required for the synchronism of said operation with the arrival of said first end at the 17. In apparatus of the class described,

the combinatlon with a continuously running power driven flying shear, of trigger mechanism engageable by the first end of each bar, means responsive to the engagement of said trigger mechanism for increasing or decreasing the speed of said shear,

and indicating mechanism to cause the. fly

ing shear to operate at the, moment of an rival of the first end of said bar at said shear. I

18. In apparatus of the class described,

\ the "combination with a continuously run nmg power driven flying shear, of means responsive to engagement by the first end of each bar for increasing or decreasing the speed of said shear.

' able thereonfor getting" 19. Inapparatus of the class described, a continuouslyrunning power driven flying shear, in combination with mechanism operable thereon for getting the knives of said shear in step and in line with the advancing first end of each bar a Y a r I 20. In apparatuspf the class described, a continuously running. power driven flying shear, in combination with mechanism operthe knives of said shear in step and in l-ine with the advancing first end of eachbar, and means responsive to engagementhy said first end, for procuring the operation of said mechanism. i

21. In apparatus of the class described,.

a continuously running power driven flying shear, in combination with mechanism operable thereon'for getting the knives of said' 'shear'in step and in line withthe advanclng first end of each bar, and means responslve to engagement by said first end, for

procuring the operation of said mechanism,

said meansbeing adjustable toward and from said shear.

k 22. In apparatus of the class described, a continuously running power'driven flying shear, in combination with mechanism operable thereon for getting the knives of said shear. in step and in linewiththe advancing first end of each bar, Ifieans responsive to engagement by said first end; for proo11r mg the operation of said mechanism, and means for discontinuing the operation of said mechanism as soon as the knives of said shear are in step with the advancing first end of the bar. i

23. The herein described method of producingskelp bar, which consists'in shearing and pointing hot skelp between the time it leaves the finishing rolls and the time it reaches the cooling bed.

, 24. In apparatus of the class de'scrihed, a

continuously running power driven flying shear, in combination with means operable from a distance for accurately: determining, in advance of the first cut of said shear on a piece of material, the length of the crop endremoved from said piece of material by said first cut. a r

25. In the art of shearing, metal bars while in motion, the improvement which consists in synchronizing the times of opposition of the shear blades with the time of arrival of the first end of each bar, and

controlling from a distant point the 'start-,

ing position of the synchronizing devices, whereby to vary the length of the crop end removed by the first cut of said shear blades, Dated this sixth day of November, 1922.

'VICTOR E. EDWARDS. 

